Born in 1905 in Denver, Colorado (disputed by some), Wardell Bond had planned on becoming a football star. He attended the University of Southern California, and just happened to become friends with a fellow football standout named John Wayne. John convinced Ward to get some extra cash by becoming an extra on movies, which were becoming a huge industry in the 1920's. As was common in those days, luck and timing brought another standout actor to the attention of Hollywood's big and famous.

Ward picked up many screen extra roles because of his height (6'3", as compared to John Wayne's 6' 5") and his build. He played many crooks, cops, cowpokes and guards in his early years. When John Wayne made it big with his movie Stagecoach, he began to have a say in some of the hiring and firing of extras and actors. He immediately called upon Ward, and they appeared together in a huge volume of The Duke's movies.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Ward took on other roles, and in 1929 was 'discovered' by the legendarydirectorJohn Ford, who gave him the chance to become a supporting actor in the movie Salute. They hit it off, and Ward added another John to his cadre of best friends. When Ward, John Wayne and John Ford finally got together, real Hollywood magic appeared on the silver screen. The trio made many memorable and standout movies, and they can arguably be considered one of Hollywood's best combinations. If John Ford and John Wayne made a movie, there was almost a guarantee that Ward would appear somewhere in the credits.

John Wayne was a notoriouspracticaljoker, and Ward was a favourite target. Ward did get the last laugh, however. On a hunting trip, John Wayne accidently shot Ward with a shotgun. Ward left that shotgun to John in his will. Ward also enjoyed a good laugh, and he appeared in John Ford's The Wings of Eagles as John Dodge, a play on words as an homage to the director. He appeared in his final picture Alias Jesse James in 1959 as his character on Wagon Train, his final acting gig. Not to be outdone, John Ford himself would include at least one scene per picture in which the camera would shoot Bond's rather sizable posterior as an "inside" joke which delighted everyone on the set but Bond.

Unlike his screen roles, Ward tended to be arrogant and vocal. During the McCarthy era, Ward was one of the most vocal anti-communistcrusaders, and he eventually led the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals as president. Many accused people hated Ward, since the accusation was almost a conviction in his book. He refused to work with accused communists, even if they were exonerated. When he and John were in college, they used to enjoy going out to bars, getting drunk and getting into fisticuffs with other drunks. In real life, you either loved him or you hated him, there was no middle ground.

Ward suffered from epilepsy, known only by his close friends. The studios kept this hushed up until long after Ward's death, just as they did with funnyman Bud Abbott of Abbott and Costello. This condition did not impact him much in his career. When Ward's film career was on the upswing, he met and married Doris Childs, who divorced him in 1944. He was remarried in 1954 to a strong woman named Mary May, who was widowed with Ward's death.

When life in the movies started to become a strain, Ward turned to acting on television. He played Major Seth Adams in a little show called Wagon Train, which was wildly popular. Gene Roddenbury pitched a silly sci-fi series called Star Trek as "Wagon Train to the stars." Most people who knew the name Ward Bond knew him through this series. His tough mannerisms and gravelly voice were a natural match for a range-worn cowboy. Unlike most, Ward died at the pinnacle of his fame.

Throughout his life, Ward remained an avid football fan. He died of a massive heart attack in his hotel room while in Dallas for a game in 1960. He was supposed to meet singer Johnny Horton later that day to ink a deal to appear on Wagon Train - Johnny died in an accident with a drunk driver at 1:30 a.m. while Ward died at noon in his hotel shower.

Ward Bond was an exceptionally prolific actor. His impressive list of movies are listed below. Note that landmark, special or personal favourites are listed in bold text.